From the period between the end of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, in much of Europe, nature and industry did not run along separate tracks but merged into a new aesthetic: the Art Noveau.
During these years, the natural world became the main source of inspiration for many different fields: from glass processing to interior design, textiles and jewellery.
We are at a time when the industrial revolution is dramatically changing the economy and society, with far-reaching impacts. For the first time, a debate is opening up about the effects of increasing industrialisation and mass production.
In contrast to the virtues of impending progress, the era of bourgeois excesses and working-class deprivation will bring a not inconsiderable price to pay: the depletion of people and the consequent decline of creativity.
Precisely in the light of these losses, the following was born in response the Art Noveau: With its perfect forms and dynamism, Art Nouveau is expressed with certain recurring elements, for example floral motifs, plants, leaves, butterflies and dragonflies, fish, seaweed and shells.
Proposed as pure avant-garde, the movement translated into revolutionary works: in Paris, the new metro stations swarmed with wrought-iron shrubs, in Barcelona Gaudí's first great work, the Palazzo Güell, was erected, and in Italy too, architectural gems were created such as the famous Quartiere Coppedè in Rome or the Casa Fenoglio-Lafleur in Turin.
Some of the artists of this current will provide input to an influential trend that will not fade away any time soon: references to the natural environment among the major themes of interior design.
The trend has spawned a real trend through the design of intelligent and unusual furnishings. Green walls and vertical gardens Bearers of a remarkable aesthetic impact, green walls and vertical gardens are among the most popular systems for improving the appearance of anonymous environments. A perfect combination of nature and architecture, vertical greenery sees several advantages that, once known, become indispensable.
Outdoor vertical gardens redevelop urban areas, indoor gardens give a unique character to offices, shops, restaurants and private homes, but not only: it has been found
through various studies that the inclusion of green spaces in enclosed spaces makes the air cleaner and full of oxygen.
The increasingly insistent focus on people's well-being in the workplace has also led to the evaluation of these solutions as tools with positive influences on stress, both for their aesthetically pleasing perception and for their sound-absorbing power; in fact, it seems that these panels help to eliminate sound reverberations, making the acoustics more welcoming and thus the environments more comfortable.
Wallpapers born from the genius of William Morris
Mountain and forest landscapes, waterfalls, sunsets, northern lights, lakes and lavender fields, pay homage to the beauty of nature through wallpapers of extraordinary expressive power.
The idea of designing wallpaper originated with William Morris around 1880. The lushness of a pretty garden with abundant foliage was the main theme of his design, which echoed the exterior of his family home. This first attempt took the name Trellis, which, however, was not entirely designed by him.
In fact, Morris was not particularly confident about his own artistic talents and for this reason the project received great support from his architect friend Philip Webb.
Trellis, however, is seen on a much larger scale as one of the fundamental steps towards a career that would radically change several aspects of the decorative arts.
Some one hundred and fifty years have now passed, but Morris's drawings continue to be a source of great inspiration. The concept that Morris wanted to express remains topical: the search for the centrality of the individual and his creativity.
